Different types of data such as characters, tables, and images require different structures which define the data and different editing operations for the data. Various application programs are provided in accordance with the type of data. The user uses different application programs for different types of data to be edited, e.g., a character processing program in order to edit characters, a spreadsheet program in order to edit tables, and an image editing program in order to edit images.
In this way, the user generally uses different application programs for different types of data to be edited. In general, a document to be created by the user is made up of a plurality of types of data such as characters and tables, or characters and images, rather than a document formed from only one type of data such as characters, tables, or images. To create a target document containing a plurality of types of data, the user must use the printing functions of various applications to print data by the respective applications, and combine the print materials in a desired order.
Some programs such as so-called “Office Suite” which forms one integrated application from various applications provide a function of combining data generated by respective applications into one document. The use of the integrated application allows the user to combine data created by respective applications into one target document by using a specific application included in the integrated application.
To print a plurality of copies of a document during editing on the information processing apparatus such as a personal computer while stapling each copy, in general, one copy of the document is printed by a printing apparatus such as a printer, and the obtained print material is used as an original. This original is copied by a copying machine capable of stapling while defining a staple instruction and designating the number of copies.
A printing apparatus such as a printer or copying machine which can directly designate staple setting when an information processing apparatus is to print a document has recently been put to practical use.
However, to assign page numbers to pages when the user creates one target document by combining print materials by various applications, he/she must print out all necessary data, combine them into a document, and determine page numbers. Each application writes determined page numbers on respective pages (to be referred to as logical pages or original pages) of an original created by the application. Even if the application program has a function of assigning page numbers, the page numbers of discontinuous pages must be designated by the user. If the pages of the target document are rearranged, page numbers must be reassigned in accordance with the rearrangement. These pages must also be edited and printed again by an application when not data contents but merely the format is changed such that a plurality of original pages are combined into one page (to be referred to as a physical page or print page) as a print material, or single-sided printing is changed to double-sided printing.
Since an application which can manage data changes depending on the type of data, the user must manually provide an interface between applications. This means that much labor is demanded of the user, decreasing the productivity. The many manual operations readily generate errors.
The use of the integrated application for creating a target document enables arranging various data in the data state without printing them out. No heavy labor is required as compared with creation of a target document by combining print materials. However, applications for editing and creating various data are restricted to ones included in the integrated application, so a user-desired application is not always exploited. A target document created by the integrated application is one document file, and management such as editing and output is done for each file. The application function poses many constraints on setting the format of part of the document file. For example, the user must change format settings at a portion where the format is changed, and print a target page again. This leads to much labor and low productivity, similar to the above-mentioned method.
In staple control, the conventional printer employs a method of designating to a printer job whether to perform stapling. The conventional printer can designate to staple a whole document together, but cannot designate to staple a specific range of the document. Therefore, a plurality of parts of one document and only one part of a document cannot be stapled. To staple the specific part of a document, a method is available in which a partial printing function of the application is used to repeat partial printing of a part to be stapled. However, this method is cumbersome and generates a plurality of print jobs in printing one document. Unlike the general print job, print job control such as stop of printing and status display must be performed for the plurality of print jobs. In addition, interrupts may be generated from other print jobs in a shared printer connected to the network.